


Mother Knows Best

by DramamineOnTopOfMe



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Athena is a mom, Buck Centric, Gen, Momming Stool, talks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:27:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24983809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DramamineOnTopOfMe/pseuds/DramamineOnTopOfMe
Summary: Buck barges into the station looking for Athena. He's got something to talk about.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Athena Grant, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 227
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	Mother Knows Best

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [Katie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/firstdegreefangirl/pseuds/firstdegreefangirl) for the beta. This idea actually came from her yesterday, she dm'd me insisting that I write it. Also, the momming stool is something that is a sort of headcanon I have. I absolutely love it. 
> 
> Feel free to find me on Tumblr, I'm DramamineOnTopOfMe. I don't post often about works, but I do post a lot of memes from the girlfriend and stupid internet stuff.

Buck barges into the police department, eyes wide. “Where’s Athena? I need to talk to Athena!” He frantically looks between officers and rookies at their desks. “Athena Grant?” 

Then, one of the female officers points to the office door that’s wide open above a small flight of stairs, “She’s in her office, who’re you?” 

“Buck?” The woman’s voice quiets down as her Sergeant comes into view on the balcony. “What the matter, Buck?” 

“Athena, Athena I need to talk to you. Can we go into your office?” He doesn’t wait for a reply, instead jogs towards the steps to meet her. “I really need to talk to you. It’s important.” She nods, putting her arm out to guide him into her office. 

“What’s the matter, hun? Get into some trouble?” Her smile is soft, and she’s joking a little.

He paces along the front of her desk, “I need you to promise not to tell anyone about this, not even Bobby. I know you don’t like keeping secrets in your marriage but I need you to promise me that you aren’t going to tell him about this.” She reaches out, attempting to grab his elbow and stop him. She’s hesitant, worried he’ll jerk or yell. “Athena, just promise me, please.” 

“Okay, okay, I promise. Just-” Then Athena gets ahold of his elbow, “Sit down and tell me what’s going on.” He shouldn’t sit down, he’s too anxious to sit down. This hasn’t happened to him in a long time, maybe ever! 

Buck stares at her for a few seconds, his eyes flicking from hers to the hand attached to his arm. He watches her stick a foot back to shut the door to her office so they have more privacy. Now all they have to get around are the glass windows covering the length of the wall. Her gaze turns hard and it seems like she’s staring him down like prey. He looks away entirely, eyes flicking around the office. Everything seems normal, the walls are a weird color of beige that he’s only seen in public buildings. Her desk is plain, black wood, with a matching chair that doesn’t look entirely comfortable. There’s a small step stool hidden between a bookcase and the wall in the corner. It makes him smirk. 

“Buck,” She sighs. There’s impatience in her tone, along with something caring. He’s only ever heard it with Maddie, never from his own mother. 

Looking back up at her, he starts, “I’ve been having this issue recently. I don’t know when it started, or how it did. But it’s been getting worse. Usually, I can get rid of it, or pass it off like it’s nothing.” His nerves kick up again as he thinks about what he’s about to say. He doesn’t know what any of it means.

“Are you in trouble?” She reaches forward for his elbow again, but he keeps it close to himself. 

“No, I’m-” Buck starts to pace along the floor again, “I’m confused. This hasn’t happened to me before. I’ve been feeling different around Eddie. More different than how I usually feel when I’m around a guy I want to sleep with. There’s this feeling in my gut when I’m near him. It’s like I’m going to be sick or something.” He continues to pace, ignoring her hand as she attempts one last time to grab him. “I want to keep him around, I don’t want to hate him or whatever. But I can’t think of another reason that I feel like I want to fly away and throw up when I’m around him.” He huffs, sitting down in the chair near the door. 

Athena doesn’t say anything for a few minutes. She begins to pace around her office, before walking around the desk to sit in that uncomfortable looking chair. He wonders if she’d let him replace it as a birthday gift or something; she deserves a chair that’s comfortable and supportive. 

The silence continues to fill the office as she looks at her desk. Occasionally she taps a few times on the wood but says nothing. There’s a painting behind her head that catches his eyes, it could be replaced too. It’s a collection of brown squares resembling a badly patterned carpet. Did they not let her decorate when she got promoted, what the hell? His thoughts on his surroundings only distract him for so long before he remembers that she hasn’t said a word about him. Does she think he’s crazy? Is she going to tell him that he needs to stop being friends with Eddie?

Finally, she stands, “Evan Buckley, stand up right now.” Her voice is harsh and assertive, he knows he’s in trouble. He hears the sound of metal scraping lightly against the wall and he trips a little while standing, knocking on the glass with the heel of his shoe. She’s coming around the desk just as he rights himself. “You came in here like you were about to confess to a murder. What the hell?” The stool in her hand pops open so she can stand on it. She’s looking him in the eye now, and it somehow makes her one thousand times more intimidating than a second ago. He didn’t know it was possible, as this is his first time on the receiving end of her momming stool, but Buck thinks he finally understands why Harry seems so afraid of it. 

“I-” 

“No, you listen young man. I don’t care if you come to me for some advice, but unless you’ve murdered someone or taken drugs, I don’t ever want you coming into my office and scaring me like this again. Do you understand?” He squeezes his eyes shut for exactly three seconds before opening them to look her in the eyes. 

“Yes, ma’am.” Her jaw is tight as she purses her lips. He thinks if he blinks, she might smack him. 

“Good, now,” Her arms suddenly fold around his shoulders and bring him in. “I love you so much, okay. You don’t have to worry about Eddie.” Why would he heave to worry about Eddie? Does she know something he doesn’t? 

“But I get-” 

“Those are called butterflies, Evan, have you never had butterflies?” He nods, of course, he has. He had butterflies with Abby and a bit with Ally. But these don’t feel like butterflies, these feel like a virus taking over his body. 

“These don’t feel like that though.” 

“It feels different to love a woman than a man, have you ever been in love with a man before?” He shakes his head this time. She softens, and something in her face settles. He wants to ask about it, or comment on which woman broke her heart for her to find her way to Michael. He doesn’t have to though, “Her name was Cassie, and I loved her, unlike any man I’ve ever loved. She was wild and amazing. She made me feel like I was at the top of a rollercoaster, waiting to drop, all the time. Is that how Eddie makes you feel?” 

He nods, “Yeah, it’s like I’m going to be sick, my stomach can’t sit still. But inside my head,” his hand comes up to point to his temple, “Everything’s fine up there.” 

She runs a hand over his hair, brushing back some gel and putting his curls back into place. She remains soft, eyes flitting around his face as she continues to stroke his head. “Thank you for telling me, I didn’t know you were interested in men.” His brow creases, how could she not- Oh, he never truly came out to her, or to anyone in the house, really. “Spend some time with him, see how you feel now that you’ve got a different option in your head. I think you were worried about hating him, and if you ask me, that’s not what this is.” 

Buck wraps his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. “Thank you ‘Thena, I love you.” 

“I love you too, Buckaroo. I was serious earlier though. If you come into my station like that again, I’m going to lock you in a cell for a night.” He shakes a little with laughter but clings tighter. Athena turns her head slightly and presses a soft kiss to his cheek. “Go get your man.” 

They pull away from each other and she steps off of the stool. As she puts it back in its place next to the wall, he opens the office door. “I’ll see you later tonight, right? You’ll be home for dinner?” 

“Yeah, I should be home for dinner. Make sure you don’t burn down my kitchen alright? Maybe invite Eddie and Chris over too, we’d love to have them.” He turns, nodding as he walks out of the office and down the stairs. 

“I’ll ask him.” He feels the eyes of most of the station on him as he walks back to the front door. He should probably apologize for yelling earlier, but part of him thinks they don’t care too much. “Thanks for getting Athena,” is all he can muster, and it’s barely above a whisper. Someone must hear it though because right before he opens the door, he hears a small “you’re welcome” off to his left. 

  
  



End file.
